1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an apparatus and method for monitoring and controlling combustion in a burner, and, particularly, in a burner of an asphalt production plant.
2. Prior Art
The use of electronic hardware and software to control and monitor the the components of asphalt production plants is well-known in the industry. Various systems have been developed to provide information concerning production stack and mix designs, silo mix inventory, mix and material flow rates, mix and material totals, and system messages and real-time diagnostics.
One such system, the "Impulse Plant Management and Control System," is available from CMI Corporation in Oklahoma City, Okla. and is described in Publication ABX301, "CMI - IMPULSE Plant Management Control System Operation, Reference and Parts Manual." The present invention is an improvement in the "Impulse Plant Management and Control System," the improvement comprising the automatic control of the air to fuel ratios of burner combustion based on measurement of combustion exhaust emissions at different fuel settings.